Already, the project has involved a series of collaborations with organisations that are committed to building on this movement. These initial activities suggest that there are four preconditions to build and sustain the climate movement:

strategy

relationships and opportunities for collaboration beyond existing networks and the professionalised NGOs

commitment to critical reflection and enthusiasm for learning and adapting; and

opportunities for individuals to act on their concerns about dangerous climate change.

Some initial recommendations that have emerged from this action research project include:

a series of skillshares (in capital cities and regional centres) to engage community organisers in discussions about current and planned campaign tactics and strategies and facilitate action planning.

bringing together climate change campaigners from as diverse a range of campaigning organisations and orientations as possible: people involved in online organising, coalition building, direct action, research, policy development, advocacy and lobbying, legal challenges and electoral campaigning. Encourage and facilitate relationship building, networking and collaboration. Encourage people to critically consider their analysis and tactics.

facilitating open, reflective and critical sharing of the different approaches and experiences of activists working around climate change including learning from what has come before, successes and challenges.

reflecting on and strategising for cultural change, as well as the more familiar campaigning which primarily aims to influence public officials and decision-makers.

introducing resources (research, case studies, frameworks) to help map and conceptualise the range of strategies evident in Australia and elsewhere. This may include Movement Action Plan and Beckwith & Lopez’s four-part framework that includes community organising, community development, advocacy and campaigning, and service delivery. We expect this phase will focus on the craft of community organising.

ongoing support to climate action groups, with a particular focus on helping groups develop achievable medium-term campaign objectives in order to ensure impact and a sense of agency, and on developing group development and maintenance skills.

groups with particular interest in community grassroots mobilisation may be interested in participating in initiating action research projects to identify, develop and evaluate strategies to recruit, mobilise and sustain grassroots organisers.

The action research project suggests a range of learning and strategy activities, with priority for approaches that are:

face to face. We need to get away from our workstations and bring people together at a local level in discussion and learning.

broader than elite organising. We see a disparity in current climate campaigning — a gap between elite NGO lobbying work and household community-based social marketing projects. This climate project aims to generate a sense of agency beyond changing light bulbs and is broader than ‘environment groups’ working on climate.

informed by current and past approaches. The project creates a space for people to reflect on current forms of climate campaigning and ways that we have approached climate change organising in the past — what’s working? How? What is there to learn from experience to date?

locally-potent. The strategy informing this project has a local-focus and demands direct personal communication between citizens and their elected representatives at all levels of government but with emphasis on council or shire scale?

committed to creating achievable impacts within two years?

focused on moving people along an activist continuum and generating personal agency and political engagement

What are people saying about us?

Dave Muhly, Sierra Club

What began at Pittwater as a collection of skilled campaigners became a cadre of skilled organizers by the final day at Baden Powell. On Sunday evening as we gathered, I overheard one participant chatting with another at a picnic table and heard, "challenge, choice, outcome" as part of her conversation. Another commented at the final circle at how what had seemed like such a large group at Pittwater now seemed like a much smaller group, reflective of how closely this group had bonded as a team despite their vast differences in geography or organizational size or style, but based on a common goal and identity. Concepts like "building teams" and "building relationships" were part of the normal parlance and just a cursory review of the evaluations to date show an increased appreciation for and attention to leadership development and strategic planning. A number of participants reminded me of my off-the-cuff set of definitions about the differences between mobilizing, campaigning and community organising (focusing on local power), and one told me she has it on the wall of her office to inspire her every day. This has been the successful launch of an ambitious and visionary program. Many thanks to James and Kate for their vision, wisdom, and care in developing and nurturing the curriculum and the cohort. Kudos!

2014-09-15T10:27:41+00:00

What began at Pittwater as a collection of skilled campaigners became a cadre of skilled organizers by the final day at Baden Powell. On Sunday evening as we gathered, I overheard one participant chatting with another at a picnic table and heard, “challenge, choice, outcome” as part of her conversation. Another commented at the final...

Shani Tager, Friends of the Earth

The fellowship has been really useful in helping me become more disciplined in the strategic planning process and able to clearly communicate why we’re doing what we’re doing. The facilitation team have been fantastic and having theory drawn out from our own experiences and then immediately applied to our campaigns means I’ll be returning to my team with a solid analysis of how we can be more effective.

2014-05-10T21:52:42+00:00

The fellowship has been really useful in helping me become more disciplined in the strategic planning process and able to clearly communicate why we’re doing what we’re doing. The facilitation team have been fantastic and having theory drawn out from our own experiences and then immediately applied to our campaigns means I’ll be returning to...

Simone van Hattem

The Community Organising Fellowship has given me effective organising skills and tools, and background information of the Australian environment and climate movements I need to develop strategy for campaigns, and provide training for other organisers and campaigners across Western Australia. The support I've been given through the ongoing mentorship and buddy program helps me stay connected with the wider movement, and stay on track to organise the people we need to defeat organised money. This program is a transformative experience, changing my work and the movement, and I'm so thankful to be part of it.

2015-03-17T21:04:17+00:00

The Community Organising Fellowship has given me effective organising skills and tools, and background information of the Australian environment and climate movements I need to develop strategy for campaigns, and provide training for other organisers and campaigners across Western Australia. The support I’ve been given through the ongoing mentorship and buddy program helps me stay...

Peter Archer, World Vision

I have shared with my friends and family that this workshop was the most valuable training I have done. It came at a time when I had become aware of my passion for grassroots activism. The follow-up support equipped me quickly and powerfully to put my learning into practice and age my confidence a huge boost.

2014-03-30T08:11:05+00:00

I have shared with my friends and family that this workshop was the most valuable training I have done. It came at a time when I had become aware of my passion for grassroots activism. The follow-up support equipped me quickly and powerfully to put my learning into practice and age my confidence a huge...

Claire Van Herpen, Environment Victoria

The Community Organising fellowship provides a positive and nurturing environment in which to learn and apply the practical skills required to effectively mobilise communities to create change. It's a great opportunity to learn from others in the environmental movement and provides space for collaboration and reflection.

2015-03-17T19:26:27+00:00

The Community Organising fellowship provides a positive and nurturing environment in which to learn and apply the practical skills required to effectively mobilise communities to create change. It’s a great opportunity to learn from others in the environmental movement and provides space for collaboration and reflection.

Emilie Carey, Solar Citizens

I really admired your facilitation skills. I learnt lots watching you guide us through the evening. I'll definitely be using lessons from last night. You're a total pro and I'm really grateful you're generous enough to share your knowledge.

2016-03-25T10:35:26+00:00

I really admired your facilitation skills. I learnt lots watching you guide us through the evening. I’ll definitely be using lessons from last night. You’re a total pro and I’m really grateful you’re generous enough to share your knowledge.

Sophie Peer, ChilOut campaign director

The Change Agency is like a best friend in the drawer. As the only paid employee in a very small not for profit, it is fabulous to know there are trusted, well tested resources a click away. Whether it's workshop planning, strategic re-think, tactics - tCA is the chamomile tea to my campaigner-stress.

2014-05-16T14:31:59+00:00

The Change Agency is like a best friend in the drawer. As the only paid employee in a very small not for profit, it is fabulous to know there are trusted, well tested resources a click away. Whether it’s workshop planning, strategic re-think, tactics – tCA is the chamomile tea to my campaigner-stress.

Harry Jennens, The Climate and Health Action Network

The Fellowship has increased both my skills in community organising and my confidence in sharing these skills with others. The immersive workshop format has provided precious space for face-to-face learning, sharing ideas with facilitators and other delegates, and building strong relationships with current and future collaborators in the climate movement. I am confident that our entire cohort will go on to empower others in our communities, and that we’ll continue to support each other in this work. The Fellowship will be instrumental in helping us build a broad, diverse and powerful movement.

2015-03-17T19:36:21+00:00

The Fellowship has increased both my skills in community organising and my confidence in sharing these skills with others. The immersive workshop format has provided precious space for face-to-face learning, sharing ideas with facilitators and other delegates, and building strong relationships with current and future collaborators in the climate movement. I am confident that our...

Bob Bingaman, Sierra Club National Organizing Director

The fight to protect the environment is a fight of organized people against organized money. For those in Australia who want to take on and be successful in this fight, the Community Organizing Fellowship provides the opportunity to learn, practice and implement strong grassroots organizing skills.

There is no better place to learn the craft of organizing, then immediately apply those learning to today’s most relevant climate and environmental campaigns, than the Community Organizing Fellowship. The program is an in-depth immersion into the craft of grassroots organizing. Going through this program will transform campaigners and how they think about and implement campaigns which build grassroots power to achieve significant environmental victories.

2014-05-29T13:00:49+00:00

The fight to protect the environment is a fight of organized people against organized money. For those in Australia who want to take on and be successful in this fight, the Community Organizing Fellowship provides the opportunity to learn, practice and implement strong grassroots organizing skills. There is no better place to learn the craft...

Cate Faehrmann, Director, Nature Conservation Council NSW, 2005

We did a two-day workshop with The Change Agency early this year which provided our organisation with some much-needed tools for strategic campaigning and planning. There was nothing but positive feedback from our staff and board members about what they gained from the two days spent with James and Sam. The power mapping exercise was particularly insightful for staff and board members alike and as a result our campaigns are more pro-active - we are seeing results!

2014-03-30T07:51:49+00:00

We did a two-day workshop with The Change Agency early this year which provided our organisation with some much-needed tools for strategic campaigning and planning. There was nothing but positive feedback from our staff and board members about what they gained from the two days spent with James and Sam. The power mapping exercise was...

Testimonials

Francesca Cancian, 1993

Activist research 'aims at challenging inequality by empowering the powerless, exposing inequalities in the status quo and promoting social changes that equalise the distribution of resources.'

2014-03-30T08:38:50+00:00

Activist research ‘aims at challenging inequality by empowering the powerless, exposing inequalities in the status quo and promoting social changes that equalise the distribution of resources.’

http://www.thechangeagency.org/testimonials/francesca-cancian-1993/

Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be?

2014-03-30T08:12:51+00:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be?

http://www.thechangeagency.org/testimonials/nelson-mandela/

Charlotte Ryan, ‘Rhyming Hope and History’ 2005

Individuals may be silently or vocally disenchanted with their reality, many complain to friends and co-workers. They dream of other possibilities but can enter the political process proactively only when they form a collective actor; an organisation sharing values, mission and strategies. Without an organisation, individual impact on political discourse is limited.

2014-03-30T08:04:35+00:00

Individuals may be silently or vocally disenchanted with their reality, many complain to friends and co-workers. They dream of other possibilities but can enter the political process proactively only when they form a collective actor; an organisation sharing values, mission and strategies. Without an organisation, individual impact on political discourse is limited.

Saul Alinksy 1971

Some of the most successful activist have treated social struggles as learning experiences.

2014-03-27T02:17:46+00:00

Some of the most successful activist have treated social struggles as learning experiences.

http://www.thechangeagency.org/testimonials/saul-alinksy-1971/

Rahindranith Tagore, Bengali poet

To join with people so we can work with rather than for them, we need to position ourselves to hear their stories and to work with their goals and agenda... in effect to see through the eyes of the other.

2014-03-30T07:59:25+00:00

To join with people so we can work with rather than for them, we need to position ourselves to hear their stories and to work with their goals and agenda… in effect to see through the eyes of the other.

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